


cosmogyral

by clickingkeyboards



Category: Murder Most Unladylike Series - Robin Stevens
Genre: Angst, Autistic!Daisy Wells, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Bonding, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28514445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clickingkeyboards/pseuds/clickingkeyboards
Summary: cosmogyraladjectivedefinition:whirling around the universe.Daisy is whirling around in distress over the fact that absolutely nobody at Fallingford is purely happy for her about her new job except her dear Hazel Wong, and she is particularly troubled by her brother’s violent and explosive reaction to her new career.After Hazel and Harold having choice words with him, Bertie comes to apologise.
Relationships: Bertie Wells & Daisy Wells, Daisy Wells & Hazel Wong
Kudos: 11





	cosmogyral

Daisy was whirling about her empty room and enjoying the feeling of being alone, flapping her hands and dancing along to a song that she was playing far too loudly. Nobody had left her alone all day, pestering her to tell the story over and over again, shouting at her for abandoning Hazel, lecturing her for frightening them.

Did it not occur to them that she was frightened too?

She wasn’t scared of many things, too deductive and logical against seemingly insurmountable odds. However, this latest development felt like stepping off a cliff. With her new job, she would be apart from everything that she had ever known, no longer with Hazel every day and distracted by Deepdean gossip, able to do things her own way. They had already agreed to write letters to each other as often as possible — when Hazel wasn’t helping her, of course — and she had suggested the genius idea of each of them keeping a notebook to jot down odd things that they would usually tell the other. Despite that, it was still a terrifying prospect. It was all so new and frightening, and Hazel would not be there at her side.

Even if she put all that aside, there was another issue, one that was seeping under her skin and making her feel mixed up and wrong: nobody was just  _ happy _ for her.

Hazel was happy, just as her clever Watson should have been. Her words were apprehensive but hopeful and enthusiastic, and she was so determined that even her father had backed down from stopping her going ahead with it. They were going to save the world together, she was sure.

George and Alexander had been jealous but ultimately pleased for her, both offering hugs and congratulating her on her ‘ridiculous luck’. Alexander was glad but seemed distracted and somewhere else, while George teased and poked and joked about her privilege.

Kitty had rolled her eyes and said, “Of course, Daisy Wells.” Despite her deductive abilities, she wasn’t quite sure what all that meant.

Beanie was worried, as usual, throwing her arms around Daisy and begging her to not be silly and get hurt. The fact that it upset Beanie was strange: Beanie, her most excitable and joyous and sensitive friend, upset because of  _ her _ .

Lavinia had said, “Good luck ‘nd that,” and gone back to trying to befriend Toast Dog. Her bluntness was usually appreciated but it had seemed dreadfully hollow in that moment.

Bertie had called her an idiot and a bitch when she told him about her new career, and his choice words for Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy were even harsher. Even when they were younger, he had never called her such harsh things, and it made her feel sick. Whenever they were in the same room after that, she made excuses to leave.

Chapman and Mrs Doherty were disappointed and, while Hetty was excited, she ultimately joined their ranks and cautioned her with so many repetitions of, “Miss Daisy, don’t be silly about this,” it made her feel like her head would cave in.

The only other person who had been truly happy for her was May Wong, leaping about with an alarmingly real sword that she had found  _ somewhere _ in the house and yelling about pirates and detectives. “I’m going to be a pirate, like Ching Shih, and a ‘tective, like you and Hazel!”

She had then rushed out of the room to go and prod the dog with her sword and Daisy was left alone. All alone.

Daisy Wells did not do well with being alone. She almost wanted to plead with her uncle and aunt to let her be alive again, just so she could go back to Deepdean and be by Hazel’s side, back with everything she knew. But a detective would not think that, and so she decided that she wasn’t going to either.

A noise startled Daisy from her dancing and whirling, two sharp taps on the door. “Knock knock,” said her brother’s warm and familiar voice. “May I come into your lair?”

“You’re so silly,” Daisy said, rushing to take the pin from the record in her gramophone. “Why are you here?”

“Hazel just had some very stern words with me,” he said, wearing the same expression that policemen and government officials wore when Uncle Felix lectured them: vaguely stunned fear. Daisy felt a bubbling pride for Hazel in that moment. She had been strict with someone!

“Yes?”

Bertie sighed. “I was being a right cad, Squashy, and I’m sorry. And I shouldn’t have called you that. Hazel said that it’s… what’s the word she used? Demeaning, and she’s right. I’m so sorry, please don’t be angry any longer.”

“You… you chump!” Daisy shouted, and rushed across the room and into his arms. “I only wanted you to be alright with it. I don’t care about Mummy or Daddy or anything else, I wanted you to be okay with it! And you  _ weren’t _ , and you were cruel!”

“I’m  _ so  _ proud of you, Daisy darling,” Bertie said, stroking her blonde hair as she pressed her face into his shoulder, arms tucked around in and gripping his shirt so the material crumpled into her hands. “My brilliant and clever sister, off saving the world! I was just… so shocked. It’s so dangerous, Daisy. I don’t want you hurt.”

“They’re going to give me a gun, I won’t be defenceless.”

Bertie chuckled. “Strangely, I’m not comforted by that.”

“You’re the one who used to run around the house pretending to be Long John Silver with a pistol that was actually one of Dad’s sticks, Squinty,” Daisy teased, tearfully giggly.

“You’re the one who used to laugh until you couldn’t breathe at my pirate impression,” he retorted, and she pushed him away playfully.

“You’re awful, I hate you.”

He smiled at her. “No, you don’t.”

* * *

Hazel looked peculiarly smug when Daisy and Bertie pushed into the drawing room, ragging on each other as usual. When Daisy took her seat beside Hazel, she was shushed by her best friend, who pointed over to Bertie and Harold.

“Got down off your high horse about the government?” Harold asked warmly, shifting over slightly on the sofa and slinging an arm around Bertie’s shoulders as he sat down.

“Shut up,” Bertie said without a bite to the words. “You’re meant to like me.”

“Both of them had a go at Bertie,” Alexander said in a low voice. “It was smashing.”

Daisy snorted. “I would have paid admission to see that.”

Pink and embarrassed, but looking rather proud of herself, Hazel said, “Come on, let’s go back to George’s mystery book!”

From across the room, Bertie glittered at her, and she smiled back.


End file.
